Category Archives: Articles by Patricia Walter

Articles About Hip Resurfacing by Patricia Walter

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by
… Read the rest

I Want a Hip Resurfacing But am Concerned About the Negative Response in the Medical Community

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

A new member of the Hip Talk Discussion Group is considering hip resurfacing, but very concerned about the negative press and the medical communities not supporting hip resurfacing.

Patricia Walter, owner of the Surface Hippy Website, responded to his concerns about hip resurfacing in the following article:

Hip Resurfacing is a very special method of replacing a hip. Ever since I began this website in 2005, hip resurfacing has never been widely accepted by the medical community. There might be several reasons for that. One is that hemi-resurfacing which only replaced the femoral portion of the device had very poor success. When full hip resurfacing began, the situation was now metal on metal bearings, not metal on bone bearing surface. So once a procedure received poor outcomes and bad press – it never goes away, even when it isn’t the same as the similarly named option.

So many surgeons remember … Read the rest

12 Year Anniversary for Patricia Walter’s BHR by Dr. De Smet March 15, 2006

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

My BHR is 12 years old. I have not ever had any problems with it or my hip. The real problem is that it is doing great while the rest of my 73 year old body is wishing it could also get an overhaul. LOL

Hip resurfacing is still a great option when you are a good candidate. There are very few problems with hip resurfacing for most people. There are always a few who do, unfortunately, have problems. Fortunately, there are not many.

The top experienced surgeons who have done thousands of hip resurfacings continue to have excellent results.  Many other surgeons who did not do a large number of hip resurfacings no longer continue to perform the surgery.  It is a difficult surgery and must be done with great care and experience for great outcomes.  I have a list of these very experienced surgeons here:

Surgeons with 1000+ … Read the rest

About The Surface Hippy Website

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

Patricia Walter Owner/Webmaster of Surface Hippy Website

Patricia Walter Owner/Webmaster of Surface Hippy Website

Hip Resurfacing is very near and dear to my heart and left hip. I believe it is a wonderful alternative to a total hip replacement, if you are a suitable candidate. People with painful hips want to begin living an active life again without pain. They don’t want restrictions to their favorite sports and activities. Hip Resurfacing offers that opportunity to return to a normal active life without the fear of dislocation and other THR restrictions. Hip Resurfacing is also bone conserving. If a revision would be necessary, there is a complete femur bone left for surgery. Those two basic reasons are why I believe in hip resurfacing and have a left resurfaced hip with a BHR (Birmingham Hip Resurfacing).

I was very fortunate to meet a local man in my town that had a hip resurfacing with Dr. Amstutz in CA. He … Read the rest

10th Anniversary of my BHR by Patricia Walter Owner/Webmaster

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

Today (March 15, 2016) is the 10th anniversary of my BHR (Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Device by Smith and Nephew) surgery.  My BHR is still going strong with no problems at all.  It feels just like my other unoperated hip – normal.

I traveled to Dr. De Smet in Belgium in 2006 because there were not many experienced hip resurfacing surgeons in the US.  Also, I did not have health insurance and could not afford surgery in the US.  Dr. De Smet had performed about 2000 surgeries at that time and was used by many hip patients in the US.  I talked to quite a few of his patients via email and phone.  I also emailed Dr. De Smet and he answered all my questions.

My experience in Belgium was wonderful.  I received my BHR and in a few days was visiting the great shops and restaurants in Ghent.  I … Read the rest

Questions to Ask Your Hip Resurfacing Surgeon

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by
You should ask your doctor as many of the questions that seem appropriate for your situation.  Your doctor should be patient, willing to talk about what to expect and answer your questions.  If he isn’t, I would try to find a doctor that is open and helpful. There are many wonderful hip resurfacing surgeons that will answer any question you have. Having all your questions answered will give you peace of mind and will make your surgery much less stressful. 
Will you perform my hip resurfacing personally or have an assistant do the surgery?
How many resurfacings have you done? (not observed or assisted with or including hemi-resurfacings)
Where did you train?
How many complications have you had?
How many resurfacing failures with revision to THR have you had?
How many loose acetabular cups have you had? Did they require a second surgery to repair or a revision to
… Read the rest

What Equipment Will I Need At Home After Surgery by Patricia Walter

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

What Equipment Will I Need At Home After Surgery?

Everyone has slightly different needs. There are some basic items almost everyone needs and then there are things that some people want and others just don’t need.

Must Haves:

Crutches  – Normally crutches are supplied by the hospital.  I used elbow crutches and they are much easier to use than normal under the arm crutches.  Overseas hospitals use elbow crutches while US hospital still normally use old fashioned under the arm crutches.  If you have to be on crutches for a long time, I would suggest getting a pair of elbow  crutches or at least a pair of the more modern underarm crutches available from many internet shopping stores.

Walker – some people that have bi-lateral surgery or special hip problems are required to use a walker.  Whether you use crutches or a walker is up to your orthopedic surgeon.

Elbow

… Read the rest

Pat’s Corner – Why I Choose a Hip Resurfacing

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

My hip hurt, my body hurt and I needed a new hip. I had fought hip pain for almost ten years because I just did not want “half my leg bone cut off” to get a new hip replacement. It just did not make sense to me that doctors were still sawing off a big hunk of a femur bone to replace a hip. We sent men to the moon, had nuclear power and every kind of electronic device imaginable, so why are our operations still old-fashioned?

I asked myself that question quite often. One evening while visiting our local tavern, I was telling a gentleman my feelings about total hip replacement. I am not sure how the conversation started, but perhaps I was complaining about my hip pain. To my surprise, he told me that they don’t have to saw off part of your femur bone to replace a … Read the rest

Pat’s Corner – Articles by Patricia Walter

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

Owner and Webmaster of Surface Hippy

I often have people write to me personally for advice and information.  I have been researching hip resurfacing for about four years.  I had my hip resurfaced March 15, 2006 with Dr. De Smet of Belgium. I have formed many opinions along the way. They are only my opinions from what I have read. I am not trained in any medical field, I am a Mechanical Engineer by profession.  So everything I write about is my opinion based on information I have read.

Articles by Patricia Walter

1st Annual Advances in Arthroplasty – Hip Resurfacing Meeting Aug. 3, 2013 Review by Patricia Walter

Pat’s Corner – Hip Resurfacing is Still An Excellent Option 2012

Don’t Take Chances after Hip Replacement Surgery 2011

Hip Resurfacing Device Development 2011

Observing a Live BHR Surgery by Dr. Kusuma 2011

3rd Annual Hip Resurfacing Course 2009 by … Read the rest

2nd Annual Hip Resurfacing Course October 24 & 25, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

Updated 10/1/2014

I was very honored to attend the 2nd Annual Hip Resurfacing Course in LA on Oct. 24 & 25, 2008.  The course was to teach new surgeons about hip resurfacing and to allow experienced hip resurfacing surgeons to share their experience. Allied medical professionals also attend the course such as physical therapists, surgeons not performing resurfacing and medical device companies.I hardly have enough words to describe the wonderful experience. I spent two intense days learning about every aspect of hip resurfacing.  I attended sessions about approaches to surgery, patient selection, femoral cementing techniques, metal ion issues, learning curve issues, special uses for resurfacing, bioengineering information and many more topics.  I found much of the information fascinating since I am a Mechanical Engineer.  I now have an even greater appreciation of the experienced surgeon’s hip resurfacing skills.  They are not only surgeons, but engineers and artists.Faculty Panel Discussion including Dr. Gross, Dr. Mont, Dr. De Smet, Dr. Murry, Dr. Stulberg, Dr. Kreuzer, Dr. Amstutz, Dr. Tuke, Dr. Barrack, Dr. Metta, Dr. Beaule & Dr. Jinnah

Faculty Panel … Read the rest

High Metal Ions, Pseudotumors, Metalosis & ALVAL

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by

Article by Patricia Walter and Hip Resurfacing  Surgeons

Patients and prospective patients are always concerned about the complications that could occur after a hip resurfacing surgery. The typical problems include femur neck fractures, dislocations, loose acetabular cups, improperly positioned acetabular cups, high metal ions, infections, pseudotumors, ALVAL and metalosis.

There has been a lot of discussion among patients on discussion groups about the high metal ion issue and pseudotumors.  I am not a doctor or medically trained.  I am a Patient Advocate, Hip Resurfacing Patient and Mechanical Engineer.  I had the opportunity to attend the  Second Annual U.S. Comprehensive Course on Total Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty October 24–25, 2008 Los Angeles, CA.  I listened to discussions about the metal ion issues and pseudotumors. I am going to explain what I learned in simple, non-medical terms since that is all I can do.

As an observer, I learned that the high metal … Read the rest

Pat’s Corner – Everyone Recovers At A Different Rate

Surface Hippy Guide to Hip Resurfacing Posted on by
Surgery experiences and recovery rates will be different for each person having a hip resurfacing. Many of us were very fortunate to have good experiences in the hospital and have fairly quick recoveries.  I guess we are the Rabbits.

There are people that have experienced very difficult recoveries and their return to a normal life has been very slow.  I guess they are the Turtles.

Some are lucky and have an average recovery which puts them right in the middle of the Rabbits and Turtles – don’t really know what to call them but Average Joes.

There is really no way to predict what your surgery experience will be and what your rate of recovery will be.  I do think that people who are younger and in very good physical shape often tend to recover faster, but that is not always the case. There was a person that ran a … Read the rest